# Those Black Trucks in Presidential Motorcades **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 20, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318 "2011-01-20T14:33:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/1 "2011-01-20T14:33:25Z")
I have a vague recollection of seeing some sort of black SUV in modern-day presidential motorcades, but I don’t see that many and had never given much thought to what they were. Just part of the entourage. Or so I thought … See what they really are [here](http://bitsandpieces.us/2011/01/18/what-are-the-black-trucks-in-a-presidential-motorcade/). Holy crap :eek:! Armored and possessing “a 6 barreled 7.62 mm mini gun. They fire over 4,000 rounds per minute The wipers need to be run to remove spent casings when the weapon is firing.” The nifty video in the link shows exactly what that last part means about having to run the wipers. I want one. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/2 "2011-01-20T15:18:00Z")
Yeah, some company makes that, but I sincerely doubt it’s part of any 1st world motorcade. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/3 "2011-01-20T15:29:17Z")
There are times one of those would be a righteous ride. I’m thinking about the time I got cut off by some little… well, you know how the rest of the fantasy goes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/4 "2011-01-20T15:30:45Z")
I was under the impression they’re included now sometimes in the US President’s motorcade. No? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/5 "2011-01-20T15:34:39Z")
Why? Crowd control? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/6 "2011-01-20T15:37:34Z")
Tea Partiers. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/7 "2011-01-20T16:17:31Z")
I’ve only seen one motorcade in person (carrying President Obama), but the black SUV that I saw had photographers pointing their cameras out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/8 "2011-01-20T16:27:50Z")
I fail to see how that would be an asset for a president’s security detail, unless they plan to drive through a town overrun by zombies. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/9 "2011-01-20T16:53:02Z")
I shoot news in DC and motorcades are a daily annoyance. In fact last night at 11pm I was blocked up trying to go home on the Rock Creek Parkway for some motorcade related to the Hu visit. Guns aside, what knocks me out is the Suburban they drive that is used to disable roadside bombs. It has a pair of 2’ tall fat antennas on the roof, and from about 5 blocks away my scanners and 2-ways go crazy as the jammers kick in. They use it for the President and for the Vice President, who is the one I run into more often driving down Mass Ave past the Observatory. Radios crap out, scanners buzz, cops stop traffic… Here comes Joe! ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/10 "2011-01-20T17:00:41Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Why? Crowd control? To give those crazy liberals their comeuppance. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/11 "2011-01-20T17:03:19Z")
Didn’t the Mythbusters use one of those in the “Shooting fish in a barrell” episode? IIRC, Adam was giggling like a schoolgirl when he saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/12 "2011-01-20T21:27:00Z")
Obama’s got nukes, too. Don’t mess with him. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/13 "2011-01-20T21:34:30Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Didn’t the Mythbusters use one of those in the “Shooting fish in a barrell” episode? IIRC, Adam was giggling like a schoolgirl when he saw it. And Kari used one to cut a tree down(IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/14 "2011-01-20T21:37:41Z")
I used to fire that weapon all the time. Fun to shoot but eight bitches in a bitch boat to fix when they get jammed up really good. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/15 "2011-01-20T22:19:59Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > And Kari used one to cut a tree down(IIRC). But Jamie & Adam had that exact SUV with a pop-up minigun that’s in the **OP** ’s video. Kari did it from a HUM-V. ETA: And she was wearing a rather fetching sundress at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/16 "2011-01-20T23:31:18Z")
> **[Motorcade | President of the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcade#President_of_the_United_States)** > > The motorcade for the President of the United States comprises forty to fifty vehicles; in addition to the president, the motorcade may carry his or her spouse or children, members of the press, security, White House officials, and VIP guests. The major members travel in armored vehicles, typically specially configured limousines. The motorcade contains several armored vehicles, a USSS Electronic Countermeasures Suburban, a counter-assault team, and Secret Service agents. When called for, a haza... ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/17 "2011-01-21T00:47:51Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > But Jamie & Adam had that exact SUV with a pop-up minigun that’s in the **OP** ’s video. Kari did it from a HUM-V. > > ETA: And she was wearing a rather fetching sundress at the time. The minigun alone gave me a major chubby. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/18 "2011-01-21T02:56:13Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I’ve only seen one motorcade in person (carrying President Obama), but the black SUV that I saw had photographers pointing their cameras out of it. They just wanted you to _think_ those were cameras and photographers > [@RandMcnally](#): > > I used to fire that weapon all the time. Fun to shoot but eight bitches in a bitch boat to fix when they get jammed up really good. So let me get this straight. You shot up eight bitches in a bitch boat with one of those? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/19 "2011-01-21T03:10:26Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Yeah, some company makes that, but I sincerely doubt it’s part of any 1st world motorcade. I’m not sure about the mini-gun SUV, but at the tail end of the motorcades are two suburbans with the back windows open. If you pay attention you’ll see SS men in the back with guns. I was talking to retired Milwaukee Police Officer who used to work with the SS when the president would come to town. According to him, if anyone tries to get near the motorcade from behind, those guys make sure it doesn’t happen. But he said these guys make sure you’re dead before you even get close. I’d assume there’s quite a bit more fire power behind tinted windows in various other parts of the motorcade. ETA, there’s a picture of what I was talking about in that wiki link [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/President%27s_motorcade_rear_view.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/President%27s_motorcade_rear_view.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318/20 "2011-01-21T03:28:21Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > So let me get this straight. You shot up eight bitches in a bitch boat with one of those? :eek: Seeing as how the thing shoots either 33 or 66 rounds a second, I should have hit a lot more. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-black-trucks-in-presidential-motorcades/568318.md?page=2)